St. Vincent, Alla
Recommended
Free
All Ages
Soundboard
Critics' Picks

When: Mon., June 8, 6:30 p.m. 2009

On one hand it’s sad and insulting that people still marvel at a woman who can really light up a guitar, like it’s some freakish new evolutionary development (Sister Rosetta Tharpe, anyone?). On the other hand it’s great, because it means amazing polymaths like Annie Clark are that much more likely to get the praise they deserve. Clark, formerly of the Polyphonic Spree, has just released her second album as St. Vincent, Actor (4AD), and it’s an enchanting collection of hypertuneful indie rock that mixes sweetness, solos, synths, and symphonic sweep. Though she plays down her torchy tendencies in favor of a revved-up orchestral steez, Actor’s lavish lapses into sublime prog stomp are more delicate than Fragile. Clark is a master—and she’s only just begun. Allá opens. —Jessica Hopper